The Let's Play Archive

Super Robot Wars Z

by Brunom1, Dr. Pepper, Caphi

Part 78: Mission 23 - Prologue

Welcome back, folks.


We’ve another big mission ahead of us and, as such, the game has given us 15 squads to use:

The upcoming battlefield is BIG so spread your accelerate/boost users around as high-movement and range are invaluable,; I had to keep Getter and Baldios flying solo because the other people had greater need for squaddies, mind.
FYI: while Adette is using the Rushrod, she’s still at Oversense L1 which means she can’t use the Bellows attack – her TRI attack is post-movement, though, so that’s nice (more importantly, she now knows Accelerate which makes her an ideal partner for Gain and Gainer).

Now, let’s get going with this LONG prologue.



Location: Siberia – Yapan’s Ceiling, Gainer’s Room



Gainer has just told Cynthia about his “trip” actually being an Exodus and apologizes for keeping quiet but, with the mess at Catez, he couldn’t meet up with her.
She tells him not to worry as they’ll have other chances to go on that date and, in that case, he asks if she’ll be meeting up with him; if possible, she says, and asks if he’ll be staying where he is now that the Exodus is done.
Not quite and Gainer tells her about him going on his own Exodus – Cynthia likes the sound of that – but their talk is interrupted by Adette shouting at him to get off the UN as they’ll be departing soon. Cynthia heard that woman’s voice and asks if he’s living with someone but, when Gainer stammers, she laughs it off and wishes him a safe trip.
Gainer thanks her and hopes the day where they’ll meet up comes soon.



Indeed, the day of our departure to Japan has arrived: Arthur ponders how they’ve been in Galia for two weeks and, now, they’ll finally be able to get working on Durandal’s orders.
Talia knows that, with Orb’s union with the Federation, they HAVE to secure Japan’s cooperation but Torres figures, if we can get their help, our team will be the strongest fighting force around. Bright isn’t so sure as, unlike the AEUG, the other members haven’t really endorsed Zaft and, while we may look like a proper force, our overall objectives are still quite varied which might, eventually, lead to our dissolution.

Hanae and the Jin family are eager to get going, worried about their home, but Gengoroh suggests she not rush this as it’s unlikely things will be the same in this Japan as how they were back when they lived there. Still, this is still the country they were born in and Umee can’t help but think about it and Ichitaro sighs that it’s an odd feeling to find that their nation is now sandwiched between the Federation and the Plants.
Either way, Hanae is fine with whichever side, so long as it allows them to return to their tranquil lives quickly. While Heizaeon thinks having more allies certainly helps against the Gaizock and the others threats, he wonders if acting together with Zaft, as they've been, is the best choice.



Talho’s quite excited to be headed for Japan, land of sushi, sukiyaki and geishas, but Holland quickly shuts her down saying that they’re not going on some leisure trip.
She asks what they’ll be doing then - unlike the Zaft and AEUG folk, do they even have anything to do in Japan? Holland doesn’t know, wondering if this is really the right thing to do and whether he has time to be dragged around by these guys.
Jamil doesn’t know when the Feds will try coming after Tifa again or even what they’re planning on using Newtypes for in the first place; depending on what Plant does on that matter, they might even become enemies.

Cotsett is also queasy about their continued alliance with Zaft but Elchi sees no other option with them being wanted by the Federation – best to hang out with a powerful enemy of theirs to keep themselves safe. Gwen sees, despite all that’s happened, the Iron Gear also took an anti-Federation standpoint and, if things go on like this, it could play a central position in the anti-federation resistance (and then, if he can control us, he’ll be able to get Inglessa back).
Shaia and Mimsy also know that, if they hang around as members of ZEUTH, the Chiram won’t attack them so easily and that’ll allow them to deliver Kei to Emaan. Mome notices them whispering but Shaia says it’s nothing.
Jabby interrupts, saying the Yapan Ceiling folk came to see them off.



The wise men thank us for our help and wish for a nice trip, while Kona and Mamadou tell everyone to stay safe.
Tiptree will be staying with Yapan’s Ceiling and, inwardly, sees the light in Eureka’s path. With that, Talia and Heizaemon give the order to depart and our first stop will be the Saotome Laboratory in Japan.
As they leave, Lioubov and Mamadou quickly notice that they haven’t seen Ana for a while, which means…



Location: Japanese Sea – Iron Gear, Bridge



Turns out she snuck aboard the Iron Gear, seeing how she can’t really go back after coming all the way here. Yes, her role as an Exodus hostage is over but, with Lioubov staying with Mamadou, there’d be no one to take her back to Wulgusk.
She has her own reasons for following us, though: she also wants to go on an Exodus for herself; Gainer isn’t so sure but Jiron figures helping Ana on her Exodus would be a way to pay her back for playing hostage for us.

Gain figures we’re beat on this one as the princess seems damn serious, so it’s unlikely anything we say will change her mind. We’ll continue to keep her safe and she’s counting on everyone, especially Gainer.
He understands but asks her to avoid doing anything dangerous and, as she agrees, Chil is very happy that they’ll be traveling together again - Ana’s heart is racing at the thought of entering the legendary land of Yapan.
Of course Gain remembers Apollo telling them that Yapan is Hell.



Aboard the King Beal, Ryouma has just related how Musashi sacrificed himself to defeat the Dinousar Empire, who they were also fighting against around the same time as Duke, Kouji and the others were warped away during their final battle with the Vega Empire.
Hayato tells him that, during that battle, the original Getter was defeated and they were unable to fight back. To save his friends, Musashi staged a kamikaze raid on the enemy's main mobile fortress, taking it with him to the grave.
Kouji apologizes, thinking this wouldn’t have happened if they were around helping them but Ryouma says it’s because of their own powerlessness that Musashi died in the first place. Kouji remembers being told that Tetsuya and his Great Mazinger were working together with them and Ryouma says he’s vanished since the battle (probably also because of the same powerlessness they felt).

Following that, the “Break the World” happened and they ended up in this multi-dimensional world, with Professor Saotome completing their new Getter after their arrival here. Benkei was drafted as their new teammate and he’s heard much about Kouji and the others from Ryouma.
He wasn’t all that interested in piloting at first but, now, he’s giving this everything he’s got as the team’s newbie and he’s had a lot of work as a new battle started right after the birth of the multi-dimensional world. Thus, they swore a vow to Musashi that they would move onwards and not get stuck on what happened.
Kouji understands as, despite how many things have changed, the fact that this is the Earth that Musashi wanted to protect hasn’t and the Getter team’s fighting to fulfill his wish for peace.



Kappei sees that we’re not the only ones fighting while bearing some sort of burden and Heizaemon asks Ryouma to give us the sit-rep on Japan.
He relates how, as we know, various organizations and nations joined together into the New Federation following the “Break the World” but, as a matter of fact, Japan was also one of its original members. Gengoroh says none of us view the idea of a “world government” as anything but appropriate after our nations were all mixed together (to the point where even Zaft and AEUG only want to take out the people that are trying to control said government for their interests) but, the problem is, the Japanese government one day simply declared itself independent, implemented martial law and closed their borders.

This isolationism may sound anachronistic to Heizaemon but it IS a legitimate way of protecting one’s country and Ryouma agrees, but the government’s actions following that were inexplicable. They started hearing rumors of homeless people being rounded up and never being heard from again, as Kappei remembers being told by Aki and the others.
Combine that with the martial law and isolationist declarations, and the government’s actions are certainly suspicious. Ryouma adds that, to make things worse, an elusive new enemy has appeared in several places, targeting the various energy facilities across Japan.
Kouji wonders if it’s alright for the Getter team to be away from the Saotome Lab with those guys around, then, but Ryouma says they’ve people keeping the place safe.
Heizaemon asks if these new enemies are the aliens but Hayato says all they were able to find out is this enemy’s name: the Hundred Demon Empire.



Location: Mount Asama – New Saotome Research Institute



Prof. Saotome isn’t in good mood, telling Roger to stop coming over as he’s not going to sell his lab no matter the amount they offer.
Roger’s here representing the Japanese government and he figures there’s a misunderstanding: the government doesn’t wish to BUY the place, merely to acquire the rights to the Getter Rays he’s researching while also allowing Saotome to remain the chief researcher and continuing his work on the subject.
Saotome, however, says that controlling his research is the same thing as buying the Getter Rays and isn’t budging.

Roger figures they should stop discussing their different viewpoints and focus on one specific matter: the government has made it clear to him that, while they’re making a generous offer, they won’t go any higher and if he won’t sell out they will confiscate the place in the name of national interest.
That’s no different than simply stealing it in Saotome’s eyes and he asks what the hell happened to his country after they became independent from the Federation. Roger has no answer to that question as, being a Negotiator, his job is to comply with his client’s wishes but, out of respect of Saotome’s work, he had hoped to acquire it in an amicable way.
There’s no deal, though, and Saotome tells him to get lost and to not come back as long as his demands remain the same – Roger agrees to leave, at least for now.



Michiru and Genki, Saotome’s children, see that Roger came by again but know he would never sell his lab.
That said, Saotome did hear that both the Photon Power and Space Sciences Labs were given similar “requests” but Michiru knows both Professor Yumi and Dr. Umon refused them.
Inwardly, Saotome has to wonder what’s going on with their government and their country.



Roger (and his cool shades) goes outside to find Dorothy, who asks if his negotiations failed AGAIN. He says Saotome’s a formidable man so, for now, Roger’s simply waiting to see his next move.
Dorothy wonders if the client, a one-eyed man, will be satisfied with this excuse and, indeed, he’s getting impatient at Roger’s inability to acquire the place. Roger tells him that Professor Saotome is a man brimming with a sense of scientific duty and figures this negotiation needs to proceed at a careful pace.
The one-eyed man takes that for an excuse for Roger screwing up and yells that he should never deign to proclaim himself a “skilled negotiator” again. Seeing how Roger can’t beat Saotome by talking, the man orders him to get the damn institute by other means.

Roger openly says he didn’t expect a government official to speak like that and, furthermore, he finds equally suspicious the fact that the money they had him offer Saotome was gathered by confiscating the property of the Japanese people.
Furious, the one-eyed man asks if Roger’s turning on his client and, when Roger stays quiet, yells that his services are no longer necessary if he’s not acting for their interests.
Telling Roger to get lost, the man leaves.



Dorothy shakes her head at Roger getting fired after the trouble they went through to get into the country; he won’t accept this result but, before anything else, yells for whoever’s sneaking around to come out.
That’d be Apollo and Roger thinks they’ve met somewhere before but Apollo can’t remember as he gets deployed all over the world. Either way, when asked, Roger introduces himself as a negotiator and Apollo asks what that is (doesn’t sound like food, though).
Roger thinks but figures any explanation he gives would go over Apollo’s head and that makes him yell at Roger not to speak to him like he’s a complete idiot. Roger didn’t think someone frolicking about the lab barefoot to be too clever but Apollo says this was part of one of Fudou’s “special trainings”.
Hearing this, Roger wonders if he would be part of the famous Getter Team but, no, Apollo says he’s an Element from DEAVA – that jogs Roger’s memory and reminds him of their meeting in Siberia.



Silvia shows up right then, having been looking for Apollo, and he figures she’s here to drag him back to the special training.
That’s not the case, though, as something terrible is happening and she’s to bring him back to the lab ASAP. Grabbing him by the ear, she drags Apollo away, and Roger figures this is probably the government’s doing, having decided to take the institute by force.